God, all these stories have made me break out in cold sweat. My little man just turned 1 but I've been back at work since he was 10months and thank God, I haven't needed outside childcare because I was able to get a job working from home. Might be changing jobs soon but I have decided to go with a minder and heaven helps the minder I choose if anything slight happens to my boy. She go hear am! I intend on doing spot checks on her, doing it myself and getting my husband and mother-in-law to do it as well.
These kids are the most precious gift and I'd rather die than let some misplaced sense of loyalty to a church get in the way of their well-being. Op has been advised well on here, prevention is better than cure, let it not be a case of "had I known".

^^ When eventually you do change jobs and opt for a child minder, ensure you go for a registered child minder.

Believe me, the peace of mind you'll get is more than enough compensation for the extra ££ spent. I speak from experience.

Thanks for the advise hun, I will do...my little squish-squish deserves the best. Might be tapping your brains from more advise in the future

debosky: Na wa oh. . . .some parents are grooming thugs at an early age!

Just move in with me B_B, I know a nursery with cctv and the works just down the road.

You'll just have to be lolo #2 after Jenny K.

I don't know why my own boys are effeminatish(sic) in nature, its sooo annoying ehn. I just didn't wanna depress myself further with the horrors my eyes were encountering so I told them my son could start and that I don't need to accompany him again My son was jejely sitting on a chair and some kid shoved him and he landed on his butt and sat there looking like a lemon for about 3 minutes until a member of staff helped him up.

Of course Debosky my lolo, help me also find out boxing and self-defence classes for my boys in your area and I would lovingly move in, as long as Jenny remembers her small role as the second wife and she knows her place behind me and my handbag

^^ hmmm...where does Oga Sagamite fit in all this?

Abi una don sack am?

If anything should happen to that boy, you will never forgive yourself. You have seen proof, your intuition is against it. What else again. Ok o.

Efemena_xy: ^^ hmmm...where does Oga Sagamite fit in all this?

Abi una don sack am?

Shush, abeg keep this on the lowdown, I know my Sagalolly is on his last legs but I still need him to sign 5 life insurance documents so no give him heart attack biko. I still need him alive. And it is because we the senior wives could no longer bear his crusty hands on our body that we acquired you as the junior wife for N2000 per month to be warming his cockles whilst we cast our nets further and moved on to greener pastures like the Deboskinator

And we the senior wives can see we did well getting him a local low maintenance village girl like you, cos we can see you have helped put the spring back in his steps without putting a dent in Sagamite's bank balance what a bargain you are, good girl and if you remain well-behaved we will also consider recruiting you for Project Debosky

...

chaircover: Hmmmmmmmm BB you just brought back memories ooooo!

I was lucky and my daughter was one of the first 10 kids that started in a brand new nursery so they had ofstead and the council breathing down their necks for the first year so it was all good . . . . . .until the day she came home with a bite mark

I was livid. . . .and guess what, it is some stuppid UK nursery policy not to disclose to the parents of the injured child which child did it. . . . which was good cos i would have bitten the child back

very soon after that we took her out and she has since been with a wonderful wonderful lady . . . . I drove past the nursery the other day and I saw all these kids outside in the cold some with jackets and some without with one of the young girls supposed to be supervising them sitting on a bench looking bored.

9 years ago we were paying £680 a month and we supplied our own nappies so I can imagine how much parents are paying now. It is well.

Hehehe, sofry sofry oh at wanting to bite your own back, unless you wanna end up on CNN and Faux news with the caption "irate Mother bites a toddler in revenge of daughter but I understand that feeling so well, it was because I could feel my self-control slipping and I was gonna shout or smack someone that I told them my son had done enough settling so they should stop asking me to stay


Funny things are still the same with standards slipping further, only the fees have gone up, and yup we have to supply diapers and spare clothings too. I have asked why my son didn't have his jacket on only to be told there were two jackets on the coatrail and they didn't know which was which, SMH.

Today for instance, I was in the Nursery office when we heard a child cry out and a little voice saying "but I said sorry". The Manager flew outta the office and went to reprimand the accused who kept parroting "but I said sorry, but I said sorry, but I said sowwy" and the Manager said "No Jack you don't go round smacking people and then say but you said sorry, you are not supposed to smack at all, that is being naughty". I left the place laughing with tears rolling down my eyes ehn


My Senior Sister actually shed real tears once cos she spends so much for grooming her boys' skin and because dem go nursery dem get nail marks on their pretty face 3 times in their first week and a few teeth mark near the eyelid too, that she actually stormed the nursery in anger threatening to sue them if they don't pay more attention to these little terrors in their care, lol.

God help us especially the women oh, cos it ain't easy at all.

chaircover: LOL BB just make sure that that efe signs a prenup . . . . village or no village girl. . . . anyway I trust sagalulu. I am sure that he even has an inventory for the number of cufflinks he has, and no girl village or city bred can take a penny off him

Sagamite don suffer. See as una dey drag his yansh for floor. Anyway good for him, next time he will stick with one woman alone - me

Busy_body:

Shush, abeg keep this on the lowdown, I know my Sagalolly is on his last legs but I still need him to sign 5 life insurance documents so no give him heart attack biko. I still need him alive. And it is because we the senior wives could no longer bear his crusty hands on our body that we acquired you as the junior wife for N2000 per month to be warming his cockles whilst we cast our nets further and moved on to greener pastures like the Deboskinator

And we the senior wives can see we did well getting him a local low maintenance village girl like you, cos we can see you have helped put the spring back in his steps without putting a dent in Sagamite's bank balance what a bargain you are, good girl and if you remain well-behaved we will also consider recruiting you for Project Debosky

Na wa oh!

Na everyday, everyday, everyday you dey jealous me for the "chop money" oga Saga dey give me!

Na everyday, everyday, everyday you dey jealous me for my 2K saloon "runs" money Oga Saga dey give me!

Na everyday, everyday, everyday you dey give me pepper eye, say Oga Saga like am village "style" pass this your yanga "city style"!

Na everyday, everyday, everyday you dey siddon, dey wait make im dash you insurance (Lol!) oya carry dey go. Na as you dey wait, me I don collect pre-nuptial village style.

Abeg nor spoil me...I nor want the-boss-key abi na debosky gini.

*** Pops Bazooka chewing gum into her mouth... carries her Dada Osun, towel 'n bucket to go baff for backyard dey sing...

Some people just dey jealous me, jealous me, jealous me...***

Busy_body:

Sagamite don suffer. See as una dey drag his yansh for floor. Anyway good for him, next time he will stick with one woman alone - me

And some people can dream eh!

Saga don already talk say you need to loosen up, too stiff...meet me for my kiosk, I'll teach you a trick or two.

The death of a nine-month-old boy pits the parents against the management of a crèche in Lagos, writes ADEOLA BALOGUN

When both Mr. Anthony and Dr. Jennifer Abuneme gave birth to their first child on Feb. 11, 2012, their joy knew no bounds. In their excitement, the couple decided to christen the new born baby, Osezua Emmanuel.

Among the Ishan of Edo State, the name Osezua means ‘good things come from God’. It was understandable. The Abunemes got married on May 14, 2011 and the same month, the wife got pregnant and later gave birth to a bouncing baby boy.

To the admiration of his parents, Osezua grew up very fast and was soon known as a vivacious boy. By September, he was registered at the crèche section of the Masters Ville Children School, Ajao Estate. He was doing well until tragedy struck two months later.

On Nov. 12, Osezua’s parents dropped him off at school at about 7 am and went to their different places of work. Unfortunately, it was the last time they would see him alive.

About three hours after the Abunemes had left, they were informed that their son, whom they had left in the care of a nanny, had been rushed to the Faith City Hospital, breathless.

In disbelief, the couple rushed to the hospital only to be shown the lifeless body of their son at the emergency ward, which is situated opposite the school.

Whatever transpired behind the walls of Osezua’s school within the three-hour interval between the period he took ill and arrived at the hospital dead, in spite of its proximity to the school, is shrouded in mystery.

Abuneme told Saturday PUNCH that when he arrived at the hospital, he instinctively took the lifeless body of his son and tried to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation but it was in vain.

Although they are grieved at losing their first and only child, who was hale and hearty a few hours after they dropped him at school, Osezua’s parents appear to have accepted their fate with stoic calmness.

As soon as it occurred to him that his son was dead, Mr. Abuneme contacted a church priest who came to bless the corpse and prepared it for immediate burial.

He said he had to bury the child and go back home to grieve, knowing that there was no point dissipating energy on legal action of any kind.

He said, “I requested an explanation of what really happened. What they told me was that my son choked when they were feeding him. We handed him over to one of the nannies, one Ijere at about 7 am on that day and drove off to work.

“But I learnt that when the other nanny, Mrs. Dauda came, she asked Ijere why she had Osezua strapped on her back. The other woman said she had to carry him on her back because nobody was around when we brought him  to the school and she wanted to do something.

“Dauda said she took my boy from her colleague and in her words, both she and Osezua slept off. When they woke up, Osezua started crying and she wanted to give him food. That morning, my wife had prepared a meal of beans and put it in his pack. The nanny said she fed him about four spoons of the meal and she was about to give him the fifth, when the boy choked. Then she raised the alarm.

“I was told that Mrs. Ijere (who was actually an auxiliary nurse) said she held the boy upside down in an attempt to resuscitate him, albeit in a crude way, instead of dashing across the road to the hospital, which was just within easy reach.”

Masters Ville Children School is very close to Faith City Hospital. Both institutions are numbered 11 and 16, respectively, on Asa-Afariogun Street in upscale Ajao Estate, in the Okota area of Lagos.

But on the second day, the boy’s mother discovered blood stains on his dress. The clothe had smelt of mentholatum ointment when it was returned.

The discovery had ticked off an alarm and the Abunemes decided to unravel the mysterious circumstances surrounding their son’s sudden death.

“I made up my mind to get to the root of what happened to my boy. It was not that it would bring him back to life because I knew that he was gone forever. But I was worried about other children. The incident happened on Monday and I contacted the police on Friday. This tells you that my mission is to sensitise other parents and warn them about what may happen to their children at any time,” he said.

Abuneme complained that the attitude of the authorities of the Masters Ville School toward the tragic incident did not help matters. He said there was no representation from the school after he buried his child.

He said, “In fact, when people started coming to commiserate with us at home, some of my friends and family became curious when they did not see anybody from the school. Some of them even threatened to storm the school and create a scene, but I pleaded with them not to do that.

“They insisted on going there, at least to let the school authorities realise that even if it was a chicken that died in their poultry, there should be a measure of compassion, let alone a child. They went and when they came back, they told me that the school management said they would have come, but they feared that they might be lynched.

“It was after this that representation from the school came. When I reported the case at the police station in the estate, it took the school some time before they could produce the pair of Ijere and Dauda who repeated the same story that I just narrated to you.

“I believe the school is hiding something from us. For instance, the bottled water in my son’s pack was still intact. Yet, he was fed.  How can somebody feed a boy of nine months without giving him water to drink? Curiously, the hot water, which my wife put in his flask, was half-full when the pack was brought home.

“What did they do with the hot water? We fed the boy with cereal before taking him to school that morning? Nobody told us anything about blood, so how come there were blood stains on his dress? What about the mentholatum?

“When I asked why they didn’t take him to the hospital opposite the school almost immediately, I was told that they were trying to put him in a bus and were trying to open the gate. Someone could have held him and dashed across the road to the hospital in less than one minute.

“When I went back to the hospital, the doctor told me that he did not have any chance to help the boy because he was brought in dead. It was the same doctor that took his delivery. So he is more or less like a member of our family. I can imagine how he felt about the situation.”

The death certificate issued to Osezua’s parents, which was made available to our correspondent, showed that the boy was dead on arrival in the hospital. The document was signed by one Dr. Okpaleke Kingsley of Faith City Hospital.

The family wrote a petition to the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State through the Ajao Police Station, urging the law enforcement agency to find out why their son was left to die instead of being rushed to the nearby hospital. A few arrests were made, but the school authorities have been making different representations to plead with the Abunemes.

When Saturday PUNCH visited the Master Ville Children School on Tuesday to find out what happened, the receptionist, who turned hostile as soon as she learnt of the mission of our correspondent,  blocked all attempts to speak with the head teacher. She claimed that no incident occurred in the school on Nov. 12.

Sweet Jesus!

The parents should have requested a post mortem examination be carried out on their son, to established the cause of death.

If for no other reason, than to provide answers to their questions. They should also press charges on the school. That innoncent baby deserves justice. Doing nothing is akin to letting them get away with murder.

Not only should that school be named and shamed, their license ought to be revoked, to serve as a deterant AND also to alert other parents of their gross incompetence!

Reading the above just sums up how much we need nurseries to be regulated in Nigeria if the ones in UK have issues. Hubby and I went to 11 nurseries before narrowing it down to 2. Heaven help them when my son starts in January. Efemena, are you based in UK?

Yeah, I am.

coldgate: HI NLDERS, I need your candid advice. My nine-month old son attends a creche run by the RCCG church which is only two blocks from my home.This is also where I worship.The Creche also has a tutorial class for afternoons. My 3 and half yr old daughter attends this after school. Now my grouse with the creche is that when my little boy started, the elderly pastor's wife who runs the creche also employed another woman to work at the creche. Recently, I noticed that whenever I go to the creche in the morning to drop my son (I work in a financial Institution on the Mainland and leave home at 7:45)the pastor's wife is no longer there. Instead, a young girl or at times, the pastor's ward dressed in school uniform is the one I meet at the creche. When I get to work, I try to call to find out if she is at the creche and she would reply that the she was there and the baby is fine. Now I have a strong suspicion that she leaves my child and others in the care of this young girl of about 15 yrs old. The other woman who used to work there no longer comes.I am seriously considering taking my son away from this creche because I am not satisfied with everything. Yet a part of me still clings on because THIS IS MY CHURCH. I guess I am just being sentimental. Pls, House, what do you advise?

I fail to see the dilemma here. Did your child come to you with a sign saying "RCCG creche or burst"?

Gosh. . . some of you like to make issues, and create headaches for yourselves out of nothing.

Efemena_xy: Yeah, I am.

Hello to you sis.

Efemena_xy: Sweet Jesus!

The parents should have requested a post mortem examination be carried out on their son, to established the cause of death.

If for no other reason, than to provide answers to their questions. They should also press charges on the school. That innoncent baby deserves justice. Doing nothing is akin to letting them get away with murder.

Not only should that school be named and shamed, their license ought to be revoked, to serve as a deterant AND also to alert other parents of their gross incompetence!

Efemena_xy: Sweet Jesus!

The parents should have requested a post mortem examination be carried out on their son, to established the cause of death.

If for no other reason, than to provide answers to their questions. They should also press charges on the school. That innoncent baby deserves justice. Doing nothing is akin to letting them get away with murder.

Not only should that school be named and shamed, their license ought to be revoked, to serve as a deterant AND also to alert other parents of their gross incompetence!

I agree with you here but you know how our naija attitude is: next you will hear is 'it has happened, it has happened'and it is swept under the carpet until another one occurs. I was horrified for hours on end when I read that story. Imagine the pain of the parents.

I can o!

You know, I've always been against jungle justice, but since "normal" justice isn't working there, then that school needs jungle justice applied to those responsible.

For heaven's sake! We're talking about a 9 month old!

This stoopid story has really gotten to me here. Maybe I'm so emotional about it because my little girl is just 9 months old too!

@ OP if you are putting the church in front of your precious children then you really have a problem. Why are you asking this silly question on NL. Take your children out of that place.

Op please stop asking a **** question and leave church out of you inadequacies, God will judge you if you don't take care of the gift he has given you (Children), stop asking Nairalanders to help you point out who to blame

Should that 15years old girl or whatever her age is, not be in school as well??

Sentiments + religion has made the OP totally stooopeed. Your priority is your child. But reading your reason such as.......it is my church pastor's wife.......I really pity you.

Enough said.

With religion, wonders never would cease. Madam wisdom is so prescious, biko get wisdom.

Una funny pass my daddy walahi siddon there they blow grammar by the time dem take SEDATIVES turn ya pikin to anoda thing you will know how far. I no pray for any eventuality to happen cos if e happen finish na this same NL una go come come dey ask for way out abi? then una go know say NLders get bad mouth. The thing wey una know the right thing b4 come dey write bla bla here. E be like say ur oga no dey aroound sef.

Just cant believe that this is on the front page!!!! Bn that you have children presumes you have a husband or they have father(s). Thats where your seeking for advice should be targeted not on Nairaland or else, very soon, every happening at your financial insttution workplace would be on Nairaland too.

Religion especially in the developing World, has turned humans to big fools!!!

The people have become so daft that they won't mind borrowing their wives to their Pastors for 2 nights. Sad, very sad indeed.

coldgate: HI NLDERS, I need your candid advice. My nine-month old son attends a creche run by the RCCG church which is only two blocks from my home.This is also where I worship.The Creche also has a tutorial class for afternoons. My 3 and half yr old daughter attends this after school. Now my grouse with the creche is that when my little boy started, the elderly pastor's wife who runs the creche also employed another woman to work at the creche. Recently, I noticed that whenever I go to the creche in the morning to drop my son (I work in a financial Institution on the Mainland and leave home at 7:45)the pastor's wife is no longer there. Instead, a young girl or at times, the pastor's ward dressed in school uniform is the one I meet at the creche. When I get to work, I try to call to find out if she is at the creche and she would reply that the she was there and the baby is fine. Now I have a strong suspicion that she leaves my child and others in the care of this young girl of about 15 yrs old. The other woman who used to work there no longer comes.I am seriously considering taking my son away from this creche because I am not satisfied with everything. [b]Yet a part of me still clings on because THIS IS MY CHURCH. [/b]I guess I am just being sentimental. Pls, House, what do you advise?

I will be firm and direct since you need someone to talk sense into you.

It is actually more disturbing IMHO that you ,an adult woman and a mother will be asking a bunch of strangers on an Internet site what to do with your child in a daycare when you have just confessed the kid is being cared for by a teenage girl.
What are you waiting to happen before you get the kid out of there or you would rather have him back in a body bag when there is a fire,a choking,a drowning or when your child simply disappears without a trace because some adult overpowers the teen and snatches a random baby in the day care and it happens to be yours.
[size=18pt]Obviously the work you do or your love for your mommy GO surpasses the love you have for this child[/size] that is the only reason you could even contemplate leaving a helpless infant in that place a second longer with time to start a thread.
Did you actually carry him in your womb or you bought him at a discount baby factory where you could run out and buy another
If any harm befalls this kid,you have 75% of the blame since you already know the place is unfit
When God created you,he gave you common sense, Use it!

Oh blimey,I even missed the fact that your 3.5 year old daughter also goes there after school
Lord have serious mercy!
Poor disposable kids
I hope your husband is not as fool.ish

Here's a video for you @OP, Happy Viewing!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guSb-246qZ8&feature=related

coldgate: HI NLDERS, I need your candid advice. My nine-month old son attends a creche run by the RCCG church which is only two blocks from my home.This is also where I worship.The Creche also has a tutorial class for afternoons. My 3 and half yr old daughter attends this after school. Now my grouse with the creche is that when my little boy started, the elderly pastor's wife who runs the creche also employed another woman to work at the creche. Recently, I noticed that whenever I go to the creche in the morning to drop my son (I work in a financial Institution on the Mainland and leave home at 7:45)the pastor's wife is no longer there. Instead, a young girl or at times, the pastor's ward dressed in school uniform is the one I meet at the creche. When I get to work, I try to call to find out if she is at the creche and she would reply that the she was there and the baby is fine. Now I have a strong suspicion that she leaves my child and others in the care of this young girl of about 15 yrs old. The other woman who used to work there no longer comes.I am seriously considering taking my son away from this creche because I am not satisfied with everything. Yet a part of me still clings on because THIS IS MY CHURCH. I guess I am just being sentimental. Pls, House, what do you advise?

SO YOU CANNOT TALK TO YOUR CHILD'S PROPRIETOR INSTEAD OF COMING TO A SOCIAL MEDIA. I FIND SOMETHING FISHY HERE THIS ISN'T A REAL STORY.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE COMMON SENSE

Here's the true Gospel.

When it comes to buying shoes, we are so selective and conscientious about it. To make sure it is just the right fit, we try it on over and over and over again, check it out from the left, check it from the right, check it out on tippy toes, check it out using a back mirror before paying for it and if, when we get home, we try it on again and notice it gives us a tiny pinch. . .we return it without a second thought. But it comes to Churches and the decisions we make when it concerns our papas, mama, mommies and daddies we hesitate even if it a matter of life and death.

The first day you got to the daycare and saw a teenager should have been the day you got to the bottom of it...No IF or BUT about it. Ideally, It is not even all the Adults who apply for jobs at daycare centers are hired because some aren't capable of the doing the tasks required of them. . .not to talk of a teenager. I don't know how many people have been to a daycare center at time other than nap time. . .it is a MAD HOUSE!!!

One child is spilling milk here, another is child is trying to lick it off the floor, yet another is trying to snatch the littler baby's bottle, one has dropped his cookie and wailing because it's what is soothing his hurting gums and the baby that just wants to be held all day is crying because you have put her down to check up on the other two fighting over the barney teddy bear that belongs to the little boy standing in the corner because he is shy for pooping in his diaper.

These are the things one deals with at a daycare center and if you don't have the psychological makeup to remain calm in the middle of chaos, you can lose it. This is also why the law requires that a certain number of children require so so number of teachers and nowhere in that equation does a teenager under 18 comes in. How is that girl gonna handle multiple crying babies?

Does she understand the importance of cleanliness? That you can't go from wiping one child's bum to feeding another without washing your hand? Yeah it sounds like something that should be common sense but in the middle of chaos, one tends to lose all rationality and taking your time to wash your hand properly when a child is seriously crying her eyes out just seems silly. All your thoughts are geared towards picking that child up and stop the crying. If many adults aren't capable of remaining calm, what do we expect a teenager to?

What about first aid? A child sees a small object on the floor, picks it up, throws it in her mouth and starts choking. . .what does the teenager do? Does she even know there are certain things that shouldn't be in the vicinity of a child. . .enough to quickly get rid of such things as soon as she sees it?!!

Everything I mentioned here is just a teeny tiny aspect of the entire task oh.

Honestly, If people really understood what it means to care for a child, they will know that not just anybody will do.

Amazing NL! OP, I don't know why u still dey think about this one. Shey Mummy dey do am for free ni?! Even if na free, make you remember say awoof dey run belle o.